The era of widely available affordable electric cars would appear to be finally here, with the announcement from Volkswagen, Skoda and CUPRA this week that their small urban EV’s will go on sale in Ireland by the end of this year.
The joint project between the three companies, all part of the wider Volkswagen Group, will see new cars from each of the manufacturers go on sale in different guises but with one common ambition- a price tag of around €25,000.
That figure has been the pricing ambition for the group from the start, but even more so since the arrival of competitively priced cars from China.
Ironically, while the VW ID Polo and the CUPRA Raval look likely to deliver on that approximate price, Skoda (a name once associated with budget pricing) looks like it will bring in its Epiq at a price point nearer to €30,000.
All three cars will be built on VW’s latest MEB electric car platform, but all three companies are trying to tailor these latest models according to traditional brands and customer taste.
CUPRA Raval interior
And, from the images at least, they seem to have succeeded. The one that stands out so far, however, is the CUPRA Raval. CUPRA has been carving out quite a niche for itself here and elsewhere with some really clever and eye-catching design that has enabled current CUPRA models to really stand out, so much so that some industry experts wonder whether it will eventually eclipse SEAT entirely.
CUPRA is planning to land the Raval here at an approximate price of €26,000, and if it does so, it should create quite a stir.
The batteries will be common to all three, starting with a 37 kWh output and around 200 horsepower and a range of around 450 kilometres is being claimed, but we will wait to see what transpires in this regard in real-world conditions.
CUPRA says standard equipment for the entry-level Dynamic will include heated front bucket seats and steering wheel, LED lights at the front, keyless entry, rear view camera and six-speaker sound system. The Dynamic + version (no indicative price yet) will add Matrix headlights, ambient interior lighting, a navigation system and six more speakers.
Skoda Epiq
Skoda’s Epiq, which will compete against cars such as the Renault 4 E-Tech and Kia’s forthcoming EV 2, is described as a city SUV-style crossover with “a minimalist but highly functional interior”.
It is 4.1 metres long and promises a pretty impressive 475 litres of boot space. It will sit alongside Skoda’s Kamiq, which will continue with petrol and diesel engine choices.
The images released by Skoda indicate the look will be quite muscular and quite modern compared to offerings from Jeep, for example, but it should look quite at home in an urban environment.
Skoda is also promising the return of more physical buttons for basic control – a very welcome move and, in my view, might even make the car worth the extra cost.
VW ID POLO
VW’s ID.Polo is promised to be a car that makes electric car driving affordable “for more people than ever before” and it looks like it will come into Ireland at in or around that target figure of €25,000.
The images released so far are camouflaged but familiar VW styling cues are evident. It’s the first of four new smaller EV’s that Volkswagen has in the pipeline.
VW ID Polo
It is 4 metres long, 1.8 metres wide and 1.5 metres high, with a 435 litre boot space – about 84 litres bigger than the current Polo. VW is claiming that interior space, including head and legroom, is dramatically increased.
The battery technology being used has moved on considerably from that which is currently available, and it seems weight has been significantly reduced. New driver safety aids are also being added.
To illustrate the close development strategy for all three cars, the ID Polo will be built at the SEAT and CUPRA plant in Spain, while the Skoda will be built alongside the rest of the range in the Czech Republic.